Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-07-29
ool-I

1887.
the troops were so close that in a few
minutes the fight was raging along the
whole line. All the efforts of the
French to dislodge the left wing of the
English position were of no avail; the
Germans held their ground firmly, but
the carnage was dreadful. Some of the
hrtialions had only one hundred men
=, II out of the original six hundred.
Wellingtoh's place was near a solitary
tree close on the right hand of the road
from Waterloo TO Charleori. This was
called Wellington's tree, from the cir
cumstance that it was the place occupied
by Lord Wellington, if lie can be said TO
have had any station at all, perpetually
riding about to animate his men. and
during the whole day he performed the
service of Colonel TO the respective
regiments that needed the inspiration of
his presence. 1t must be said that he
was boldly seconded by some of his Of
ficers, some of whom fell in the begin
ming of the action. The ablest man he
lost was Colonel Cor on, his aid-de.
camp, who fell mortally wounded by
his side.
About half mile from Wellington's
tree and quarter of a mile from La
IIaye Sainte stands the inn or pothOuse,
as it was then styled, La Belle Alliance,
and half way between the farm house
and La Belle Alliance where the high
banks on either side OF the road defend
ed him from the enemy's cannon, the
shot from which passed over his head,
was the principal station of Bonaparte
during the greater part of the action
aud where he remained five hours at one
time.
By four o'clock affairs looked gloomy.
The English had already $4,000 men
dead or wounded. The right wing
(Hollanders) was driven back and the
road to Waterloo was covered with re-
treating IIollanders. The big orchard
Of prune trees before llougement was
in possession of the French. All the
prune trees, many of them more than Il
foot in diameter, were cut off by the
balls and were so splintered that they
looked like brooms. La Haye Sainte
was lost; the 400 Hanoverians fought
till their ammunition gave out, and then
they met the French at the point of the
bayonet till not one man remained.
This seems the only act of omission
with which Lord Wellington charged
himself after the engagement. owe
ought" said he, "to have supplied them
With ammunition, but could not think
of everything"
The Prussian army had commenced to
march in aid of Wellington on the 18th
at three o'clock in the morning; but it
was twenty-lour miles and the roads
were exceedingly bad. The heavy
rains had made the roads nearly impass-
able, and artillery could only be
brought forward by nearly superhumau
efforts. The men grumbled and pro-
tested, but Blucher said ave must go
forward. | have promised my brother,
Wellington, and you don't want me to
break my word By four o'clock in
the afternoon the Prussians appeared
in the rear and right flank of the French
army. Napoleon, who, of course, saw
them before Wellington, ordered his
reserve ten thousand men of the \ Dung
Guards, to occupy the village Planche-
nois, to check the advance of the Prus-
slams. lie then collected 5000 Of his
Old Guards to break the centre of Well
ington. In the most splendid order,
with colors rolled around the hagstafls
(for the old veterans would not advance
with colors flying before they had OBJ
tained at least one decisive victory did
these troops move down the road from
La Belle Alliance to Hougemont in
plain sight of the English. Wellington
called six regiments of Germans from
his left wing, and in order TO give them
time TO come up lie threw Iris Scotch
Guards three hundred steps before his
front to check the enemy's column.
Nobly did the Scotchmen bleed and die
on that muddy ground. The Germans,
who took the French columns in their
right flank, thought that both columns,
French and English, were retreating,
so many wounded tried to escape in the
rear. Wellington wished either the
night would come or Blucher.
Then, IN the moment Of greatest
peril, a Prussian corps under Zeithen
appeared on the hill next to Belle Alli-
ance and opened fire with twenty'fouf
eannons. This fire encouraged We'll
lington and his troops and discouraged
the French. Troops having the enemy
to charge in front and knowing them
selves to be assailed in the rear, lose
their courage. The solid shot of the
Prussians, plowing up the mud and
mirc, where rye, barley and oat fields
had been traInpled during the day,
threw mud from behind, over the French
columns.
Napoleon, perceiving his Old Guard
wayering, rode close behind his lines,
so that between him and the enemy
there were only two lines of his men.
He did not speak, but evidently wanted
to fling his life away. as he saw the vic
tory slipping ont Of his hands. The
Germans recognized him and shouted
to each other to fire at him, and If their
old flint-locks had not been so clumsy
and the press and confusion so great, he
aws